The present invention is directed to an improved utensil made of a composite of materials of different hardness. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a spoon which is made of a hard material forming a skeleton of the spoon and located at the center of its bowl; and a soft material located along the circumference of the spoon""s bowl. In addition, the present invention relates to a method of manufacture of the combination-material utensil.
Currently, soft baby spoons are commonly used in the art. However, the soft spoons can be difficult to use in some circumstances. Structural parts constructed of soft material usually have higher coefficient of friction and therefore can not slide easily across a dish such as a plate or bowl and, as a result, can occasionally be somewhat uncomfortable to use. In addition, due to the softness of the material used in the spoon, the spoon can often bend unnecessarily. Therefore, there is a substantial use in the art for a new utensil which would combine the comfort of the soft-material utensil with the structural integrity and slideability of the utensil made of a hard material.
In accordance with the invention, a utensil is provided which is constructed out of a combination of a plurality of materials of different hardness. Preferably, the utensil includes a soft material component which makes the utensil more comfortable in use and a hard component which improves the overall structural integrity of the spoon.
Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will be more apparent in conjunction with the disclosure herein.